exploring a sober friendly sin city

Sober Friendly Strip Tips #2, The Cosmopolitan

Confession: even though I grew up here in Vegas, The Strip still overwhelms me.

Don’t get me wrong–I also love it.

I love the way each casino has its own theme, its own feel, its own smell (…I mean that in the best way…The Mirage smells different than the Venetian which smells different than Mandalay Bay…I swear….) and I love the design elements each property has, both interior and architecturally.

But The Strip is also a place where you see very few sober folk.

And as a ‘sober-folk’ I am really working to find ways for those of you fellow sober-folk who are visiting or have to come down to this part of town to partake in the beauty (?)…yes, beauty of The Strip.

So, here goes–Sober-Friendly tips for The Strip Part 2 (and you can find Part 1 here)

The Cosmopolitan is one of the newer properties on The Strip (it opened in 2010) and it’s located at the intersection of LV Blvd. & Harmon.

An exterior view of “The Cosmo”

One of the main reasons I like this property is that it features a ton of art…they’ve been a supporter of the local art community as well as fine art at large.

Up until recently they had an artist in residency program, and still today they have a pretty incredible collection you can view and enjoy simply by walking around.

“…merged a range of media into nostalgic allegories by juxtaposing figures cut from china plates and ceramic figurines with layered woodcut paintings. As with any tale there are multiple interpretations, so guests were invited to share their interpretation while creating a miniature clay home to add to the growing collaborative village. Guests were invited to explore the stories they create within their own home and community.”

In addition to the art they have on view, they also have a couple of Art-o-Mat‘s here!

For a couple of bucks you can bring home an original artwork

In addition to art, The Cosmo also has an Ice Rink that’s open during November & December! (So get planning for next year…)

They also have cheap poolside movies during the summer months, Dive in Movies,and you can enjoy swimming and a film for $5 if you’re not staying at the hotel (or you are a local).

Onto some dining options for your sober enjoyment.

If you’ve read the other posts, you probably know I am not big on ‘sit down’ restaurants.

When I was a drinker, that was one of my favorite places to drink. At dinner. Cocktails. Bourbon. Whiskey. Followed by a few beers. A long dinner meant more drinks! (sigh…I am so glad to be done with those days….as is my wallet….)

Anyway, it’s much harder for me to want to go into these kinds of restaurants now, so you’ll find most of what I recommend is either ‘to-go’ or ‘counter service’.

I also hate waiting to settle up a bill (as I am a human with anxiety about interacting with other humans….) so for me, it’s nice to just cut that one extra interaction out.

Right next to Eggslut is Milk, where you can satisfy your sweet-tooth with cookies and soft serve…yummmmmmmmm.

I will warn you that they do offer boozy options on their shakes, so this is “Sober-Friendly” rather than alcohol free.

Also in this area is The Juice Standard if you are looking to get a healthy fix, and one nice thing about The Juice Standard is they are open daily from 7am-11pm in case you want that late night salad…(because you’re sober and you crave different stuff when you’re not wasted…!)

You can check out their food menu here, featuring Salads, Wraps, Toasts and Snacks.

Again, like with Milk, they do offer spiked versions of their juices–just a warning as we all have different triggers.